Assai, the Zurich-based agency for digital and dialog-oriented communication, has been commissioned by Fleurop Interflora Europa to update its e-business platform with a redesign. The flower broker Fleurop Interflora processes over 10 million orders per year. The first works can be seen from summer 2006.

Swiss Post International (SPI), the international division of Swiss Post, is taking over Media Data Services AG (MDS). The acquisition will take retroactive effect from January 1, 2006, Swiss Post announced. Media Data Services is active in publishing management for domestic and foreign press titles. The company's services include the acquisition of new subscribers and reader retention measures using dialog marketing. Its customers include major German publishers such as Gruner & Jahr, Spiegel and Burda. In Switzerland, MDS took over subscriber management for the magazine Saisonküche at the beginning of 2006. The company's turnover in 2005 amounted to around 7 million francs. Swiss Post International takes over the management under the leadership of Managing Director Margrit Mannhart and the 40 employees. MDS will operate as a Swiss subsidiary of SPI under its current name. The site in Kriens will be expanded, the communiqué continues. With this new acquisition, Swiss Post intends to offer domestic and foreign publishers comprehensive end-to-end solutions for newspaper and magazine distribution.

René Rhinow has been elected Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting of Vogt-Schild Holding, which publishes the Solothurner Zeitung newspaper, among others. He succeeds Fritz Schuhmacher, who is stepping down from the Board. Rhinow has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Vogt Group since 2003. Marco de Stoppani, formerly Director of Publishing and Printing at NZZ, was newly elected to the Board of Directors. Vice Chairman Beat Lorétan and Françoise Marcuard-Hammer were confirmed. These four members represent the majority shareholder, the Gottlieb and Hans Vogt Foundation, on the Board of Directors. Peter Wanner, Board delegate and CEO of the AZ Medien Group, and Max Bühlmann, Director of Investment Management at PubliGroupe in Lausanne, were also confirmed. The AZ Medien Group and PubliGroupe each hold a 17.5 percent stake in Vogt-Schild Holding, and it was reported that operating business in the 2005 financial year was not satisfactory in line with the industry. Due to the new constellation of the company and other special factors, the group's annual financial statements are not comparable with those of previous years and are therefore not published in detail.

Swisscom's net revenue fell in the
last year by 3.2 percent to CHF 9.7 billion, according to the
telecommunications company announced. The operating result before
Interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) increased by 4.9 percent to
4.17 billion francs. By contrast, the net profit after
Deduction of minority interests: by 26.7 percent to 2.02 billion
francs. 16 francs per share or a total of 907 million francs
are to be distributed as a dividend. The company will announce this to the
Annual General Meeting. In the previous year, the distribution amounted to 14
francs per share.
In the current year, Swisscom plans to buy back shares in the amount of
2.25 billion Swiss francs. For the 2006 financial year, sales of
around CHF 9.5 billion and EBITDA of CHF 4.0 billion
Swiss francs is expected. The main reason for the forecast decline in the
Ebitda, the lower mobile termination fees are mentioned, which
for the first time in the year as a whole.
Swisscom is aiming for growth in the areas of convergence and multimedia,
the so-called TIME market: This includes applications in the
telecommunications, IT, media and entertainment. The aim is to,
with new activities from 2008 and 2009, respectively, the decline in the
conventional activities, according to the communiqué.
The new corporate strategy focuses on strengthening the core business
with convergent offerings, to increased growth with solutions for
business customers and on targeted expansion projects. The latter should
on the one hand in countries with a technological backlog and
on the other hand, also in parts of the current business in Switzerland
take place. Swisscom also wants to improve customer service and
simplify the contact process.
The new strategy results in an armchair shift to
Management level: Adrian Bult, the former CEO of Swisscom Fixnet,
takes over the management of the mobile communications business. The new
The person responsible for the fixed network business was
Chief Financial Officer Ueli Dietiker appointed. Mario Rossi, the previous
CFO of Swisscom Fixnet, has been appointed as the new CFO of Swisscom Ltd.
elected. Urs Schaeppi, the previous head of Commercial
Business at Swisscom Mobile, will be the new CEO of the
Telco business customers responsible for Swisscom Solutions. René Fischer, the
former CEO of Swisscom Solutions, is leaving the company.

The Amrein-Pieren advertising agency, founded in 1961, is undergoing a generational change: Walter J. Amrein is handing over operational management to his son Roman D. C. Amrein. From now on, Walter Amrein will take care of the agency's finances. Roman D. C. Amrein benefited from intensive training in design and aesthetics from the agency's founders. As a qualified marketing manager, he set up the Geneva branch in 1999 and is particularly concerned with the well-being of clients in western Switzerland. The new member of the management team is Cédric O. Bussmann, advertising manager and expert in the professional examinations for marketing planners. He will look after clients from German-speaking Switzerland at the Bern agency. Also new are the partner agency Bartel, Brömmel, Struck & Partner in Germany and the new website: www.amrein-pieren.ch.

Labels Their function today goes far beyond
beyond the content labeling of a package. Advertising effectiveness,
Counterfeit protection and perfect information require
customized printing and processing technologies, where the folding carton proves to be the ideal solution.
packaging is not worthwhile or if the individual packaged goods are additionally
creative, informative or as part of a special campaign - for example
must be decorated by sticking on a scratch-off voucher - are
labels are ideal. The greatest growth is being recorded by non
Adhesive labels rarely equipped with a high degree of finishing
(self-adhesive labels). They are easy to apply and can be
are easily adapted to all possible applications in a uniform design.
packaging material.

The increasingly popular no-label look, in which the glass or plastic of the packaging material shines through unobscured, but also certain
performance characteristics promote strong use in this segment
of film instead of paper. Innovative, screen and flexographic printable
Pressure-sensitive adhesives give the adhesive labels additional impetus.
At the same time, wet-glue labels are losing market volume. Therefore
however, their degree of refinement increases considerably. Their advantage is the
paper selection that no other label printing process can offer in this
width is available. Plastics are in demand when transparency (e.g. in the no-label look or
for all reverse printing applications and for in/mold labels) and
elasticity (for stretch and shrink sleeves) are required. The
The majority is made of PVC, polyester (PET) and increases at the expense of
stretched polystyrene film (OPP). Polypropylene (OPP) is used for
off-mold labels and is important in the Asian market.

In general, labels are increasingly replacing the direct printing of
Plastic bottles, cups and tubes. In favor of labels are the
higher print quality, the more diverse finishing options and
the rapid changeover to new print subjects. As
label design software, the same solutions are used as for the
packaging printing, i.e. products such as ArtPro (artwork) or
Scope/ PackEdge (Esko), because both areas are characterized by
Illustration and CAD requirements as well as utility copies (waste
minimizing the placement of several labels on one print sheet or
web section). And as with the direct printing of
The respective curvature of the hollow bodies must also be taken into account in label printing.
surface is taken into account if, as with bottle collars, they are
cylinder. The design must therefore be in a special
CAD application can be subjected to anamorphosis (distortion).

Paper labels are mainly printed using sheet-fed and narrow-web offset printing.
produced. Fine wine and beer bottle labels come from the
Sheetfed offset. For narrow web processes, the inline combination of
with other printing processes and the simple production of
Adhesive labels. Other methods for printing on paper are the process used by the
Endangered sheet-fed gravure printing, which is used for specialties such as
effect pigment printing (e.g. Iriodin) and engravings, and the
Screen printing. Adhesive labels are printed on paper that is coated with adhesive.
coated and rests on a siliconized backing paper. A
Inline rotary die-cutter punches the label contours only up to the
backing paper, so that the unprinted paper around the labels
as a continuous "grid" directly in the printing press for
disposal can be peeled off and wound up. The adhesive labels
then remain on the backing paper until they are dispensed, from which they are
can be easily removed.

Film labels are the domain of flexographic printing. Although the
print quality cannot keep up with offset printing on paper,
they can also offer other advantages: Stretchability or shrinkability
(Sleeves adhere without adhesive and can be removed before refilling.
bottles can be easily removed), washability,
Transparency, seamless integration into plastic surfaces
(in-mold labels), visual and haptic similarity with the
labeled plastic surface.

Leading service providers
The Swiss label printing market is quite manageable.
Many smaller commercial and folding carton sheetfed offset print shops are
in the glue label market, while the food giant Nestlé in Vevey has its own
a large part on the doorstep of Säuberlin & Pfeiffer
produce. The enormous remainder is shared primarily by Pago AG in
Grabs (SG) and Tesa Bandfix AG in Bergdietikon (AG) - see boxes
on page 22 with their specialties. Both are characterized by a
product variety and seem to be constantly coming up with new ideas.
to want to surpass them. Labeling the packs is also part of the
them as part of the full service. Both manufacturers are also
Suppliers of labeling machines and devices for printing and labeling,
Filling and packaging service provider sold all over the world
be    

Requirements for labels
The brand must be clearly and unmistakably recognizable, the design
within the promotion or campaign with the other media
(packaging, display, poster, TV commercial, advertisement, product sample)
in order to trigger the recognition effect. This applies
also for cross-marketing activities, in which the
(additional) label for another product of the company
is used. In addition, the label can be used as part of an image transfer or
complementary third-party product also on a product of another manufacturer.
manufacturer. An example would be advertising for a vacation resort on
of a muesli packet.

For high advertising impact and the brand image to be conveyed, the
design can be eye-catching. Trendy finishing effects are available here
or contours that deviate from the rectangle. As a finishing process
are hot and cold foil stamping, spot and cold foil embossing for labels.
effect paintwork and contour stamping are particularly popular, metallic and
Tilt effect colors and reliefs are on the rise. Depending on the choice of
Different finishing steps are possible depending on the substrate. Before
Especially in the case of bottles, additional trailers (also with
tear-off coupon or multi-layer label), which can be executed as a
For example, enable participation in a competition.

In order to comply with the duty to inform, all legally required
Data (product name, manufacturer address, product EAN barcode,
Composition/ingredients, if necessary Environmental/health hazards,
expiry date, storage instructions, recyclability) must be clearly legible.
This label or an additional label should contain short, concise
Advertising texts point out the excellence of the product. Plenty of space to
Print on wrap-around labels and sleeves. With little space and
multi-layer labels, which can be used as a label for the
multi-page booklet, fanfold or similar on the cover or a
carrier label must be affixed.

Packaging and labels should be of a higher quality to prevent brand piracy.
Packaged goods must bear authentic, forgery-proof features. Examples:
Guilloches (filigree patterns like on banknotes) make it difficult to
reprints, embossed holograms act as seals, hidden images (for the
For example, interference subjects or subjects only visible under UV lamps
printing ink) and taggants (marking substances, for example
individual pattern-forming powder or synthetic DNA) are only
can be visualized with optical or chemical decoders.

Theft protection, goods logistics and product traceability
improve RFID transponders (Radio Frequency Identification), which, based on
the reverse side is dispensed, normal adhesive labels in electronic
and readable "radio tags". RFID could
replace the barcodes in use today in the long term, which only
are readable. Completely printed transponders are still a dream of the future;
At present, only the antennas can be printed, but not the chips.

In the food sector, the printing inks and
label materials must be food-safe, i.e. have an inherent odor and
-taste or completely neutral. This not only applies to
Labels that are stuck directly onto food (fruit, loaves of bread).

Additional benefits are offered by thermochromic printing inks, which can be used when the
cold chain into an irreversible coloration or the achievement of
of the optimum drinking temperature of a wine or hot beverage.

Label specialties Pago AG ...
Decoration with reference to the product and packaging design:
- PAGOmetallex:
Metallic printing process on adhesive labels as an alternative to
Hot stamping foil finishing or aluminum vapor deposition, in three
Gloss finishes, can be overprinted - No-label look: highly transparent
Adhesive labels - PAGO 3D Design: Lenticular image adhesive labels with
Depth effect - PAGOtouch: Relief adhesive labels - PAGOdome:
Synthetic resin adhesive labels - PAGOroll: Wrap-around labels - Endura:
Shrink sleeves.

Labeling and identification for shipping and forwarding, pre-printed
and blank, for manual (at the POS) and fully automatic labeling,
Shelf marking and labeling solutions: - PAGOinforoll: several times around
wrap-around labels on the bottle, e.g. instead of
Medication leaflet.

Promotion as a sales promotion tool on the product or as a
Add-ins in magazines and mailings (product launches,
Multilingual/comprehensive descriptions, instructions for use, recipes,
competitions): - PAGOmedia: multi-layer labels as roll-off labels,
Leporellos, booklets, cross-fold, spiral fold, also as
Bottle labels and bottle tags - PAGOmedia Magic:
Removable adhesive labels - PAGOinfoform: three-sided, removable adhesive labels
removable adhesive labels with resealable cover sheet -
PAGOmagiccolours: Adhesive labels with special colors - PAGOdigicolor:
digitally printed adhesive labels, also with fluorescent colors -
PAGOpicture 3D: Lenticular image adhesive labels with depth effect -
PAGOpicture Move: Lenticular picture adhesive labels with multi-part
Image sequence - Screen labels: removable films that can be applied to the
Computer screen hidden on Internet pages
Make competition solution words visible.

function to support handling, convenience and the
Security (product sealing, reclosability,
anti-theft device): - PAGOclose: Locking and
Resealable labels - PAGOmultipack: Adhesive labels-
solutions for multipacks - PAGOsafe: tamper-evident closure
security - PAGOsecure & PAGOsmart: RFID adhesive labels
- PAGOtouch: Relief adhesive labels with Braille - PAGO-
sleeve: Sleeves for first opening guarantee.

... and Tesa Bandfix AG
Design labels with reference to product and packaging design: - TwoFace:
Printed on both sides in up to 8 colors plus gluing - for transparent
Packaging materials and packaged goods (cosmetics, beverages) - Mirror labels: for
High-quality mirror effects, also for metallic screen gradients.

Functional labels with additional benefits through mechanical or logistical
Functions: - Logistics labels: for forwarding and shipping, pre-printed
and blank (can be printed variably on a desktop printer), for
manual (at the POS) and fully automatic labeling,
Shelf marking and labeling solutions - Infoplus labels:
double-layered labels, i.e. printed on three sides, which can also be
can be closed again - resealable labels:
for bags, optionally with flap.

Promotional labels with additional information (max. 26 pages:
Product launches, multilingual/comprehensive descriptions,
instructions for use, recipes, competitions) or with special
Eye-catching effects: - Label text and book text: multi-layer labels,
consisting of a basic label with an attached folding leaflet
(fanfold or bookfold) - Plytext: three-sided, removable
Adhesive labels - Cleartext: resealable, so that the integrated label can be
leaflet remains permanently attached to the product - Collartext: multi-layered
Labels for bottle necks - promotional stickers: campaigns and promotions
Accompanying stickers - self-adhesive tattoos: for target group-specific
Promotions, non-profit campaigns, advertising on athletes or as
popular collector's items and swaps for children.

Like a seal, security labels protect products from
Misuse and manipulation: - Security Rub-off Labels:
Customized solutions (special formats, security punching,
colored customer logos, holograms, layouts) - pre-perforated labels:
for first-opening guarantee, easy to tear - Closure label: for
First opening guarantee, reclosable - Security Seal: Basis
of the Tesa security concept, is thus applied to the transport packaging.
that it can only be opened if the seal has been removed beforehand.
has been removed or destroyed; each time an attempt is made to open it, the
irreversibly the color and an inscription appears that refers to the
manipulation.

Dieter Kleeberg

With the websites 20 Minuten, cineman, Energy Zürich and Usgang, Adlink has created an online advertising pool with youth-oriented websites. According to the Adlink press release, the advertising target group of children and young people has long been an extremely attractive target group for the online advertising market. Due to the great demand from the advertising market, the company has responded to this need. With the new large-format "Skateboard Ad", Adlink offers end-to-end campaign handling in the area of youth marketing.

Viral: What's drawing Mammut to the top is something Apple and Microsoft have been doing for a long time.
How do you get the rumor mill going like that?
The right way to get things going? By announcing a major news story
announces—and nothing, absolutely nothing, about the news itself
says. Viral marketing is the term for this targeted dissemination of
Bits of information, sometimes even rumors. The California-based
Computer manufacturer Apple has been using this type of viral marketing for
Years before its in-house trade show, Macworld. The
fueled orchestrated speculation. Even cunningly planted
Product photos featuring counterfeit items are circulating online ahead of time. The whole thing
But that only works as long as everyone involved at Apple keeps their mouths shut.

In the run-up to CeBIT in Hanover, which begins on March 9, [company name] is now breaking new ground
Microsoft is also taking the viral route. For Bill Gates, however, it can be a
be a little more. Microsoft has allowed so many from the very beginning
Information is leaking out, suggesting that the rumor mill is only half
Power is bubbling. But it usually does so with double
Impact. Marketing strategists are pleased with the results: blogs,
Newspapers and news sites are actively speculating about rumored news stories.

Ominous Projects
A few days ago, the company launched a website about the mysterious
Origami Project. Two professionally produced trailers showcase the
Sparked an interest in something that's supposed to be everywhere—in the city, in the
A car, out in nature. «How can I change your life?» is the
Viewers were asked a question and told to wait until March 9 for the answer.
On that very day, Microsoft is hosting a press conference in Hanover.
The perfect time to announce the news.

There has been speculation that Microsoft is building its own mobile device. A
A handheld device, a portable game console, or even an all-powerful cell phone? Because
But at Microsoft, there apparently isn't a vow of silence like there is at Apple
If there are any, these questions have long since been answered. For example, the
A programmer spent a week working on the source code for the Origami website
hid the following comment after the launch: «Origami Project: the
»Mobile PC running Windows XP." So this refers to a portable PC with
Windows XP. It is also referred to as «ultramobile computing» or «ultramobile
»PC." A company spokesperson announced that Origami would be available on the
Microsoft's CeBIT press conference was the topic of discussion «for just 30 seconds»
be. Most of the information would come from partners Intel and Samsung
deliver, since Microsoft has not embarked on a new hardware project
have.
 
The AP news agency has a little more information. It quotes a
A Microsoft employee who wishes to remain anonymous because he is part of the
Confidentiality is required. Origami is a
"A Windows PC in pocketbook format," he explained. There are several
Manufacturers that already offer devices priced between $500 and $1,000
would be available shortly after CeBIT. Also, a promotional video—though purely speculative—
Images of such models are already circulating online.     

Viral Marketing
The success of a Woodbridge idea depends on the curiosity and enthusiasm it sparks among the interested communities.

Viral marketing comes from the word "virus" and works with the
Snowball effect of dissemination. An advertising message is spread in a
Core target audience positioned in such a way that they can access it via the Internet—a
Just like a virus—it spreads in all kinds of directions.

It all started with the Mammut campaign featuring Mary's website
Woodbridge. In classified ads and section ads in trade journals
For mountaineers, for example, the website was specifically targeted by the
to interested communities. They supported Mary's project
Woodbridge, on the one hand, commented with amusement, immediately catching on to the joke and
shared it with enthusiasm. Others have the
They took the announcements very seriously and wanted Mary to stop her
Discourage such plans.

Either way, the experiment stretches from Berlin to Bahrain and from Israel to
Italy has been the subject of discussion in various media outlets for weeks. Now
All that's left for the advertising agency and Mammut to do is to reach out to those who are now curious
to provide potential customers with the right follow-up information.
    

Andreas Panzeri

The Lucerne School of Art and Design and the Lucerne School of Business have created a new degree course, Design Manager, to promote design and management skills. The course is already established abroad and is now being offered in Switzerland for the first time, according to a press release. The new course is intended to offer interesting prospects for people who want to combine their love of design with the field of management. The Design Manager course has an international focus and is taught in English.

Market research Publisuisse offers the
Swiss car importers for the past two years,
so that they can work the market more efficiently. With which
results?
The 76th Geneva Motor Show closes in
opens its doors in a few days and will once again attract hundreds of thousands of
have attracted enthusiastic car fans. But fewer and fewer people are watching
also buy. The Swiss car market seems to have been
Forward gear can no longer be found. As in previous years, the
sales fell in 2005. Only 259426 new passenger cars were sold in the
enrolled last year - 3.6 percent fewer than in 2004.
 
According to the statistics of the Association of Swiss Automobile Importers
the new market collapsed by almost 25 percent in six years. Undeterred
For years, advertising expenditure in the automotive industry has tended to reflect
optimistic forecasts and, according to Media Focus, fluctuate around 270 million
francs. Although this amount represents only a fraction of the
industry turnover (a good CHF 10 billion), and advertising spending in the
The capital goods sector tends to react moderately to sales fluctuations,
Nevertheless, the figure should be treated with caution, according to
of the media agencies.
 
The slump was very noticeable for many of them, because
most importers would have behaved pro-cyclically and the
advertising expenditure per unit has not increased. It is therefore quite conceivable that
dealers and the second-hand market have also become more active. In addition
individual market entries of new brands could make major dents in the
advertising statistics have leveled out, there is speculation.

Renewal rate has fallen
The fact is that the efficiency controls on advertising budgets are rigorous
and these are focused on gaining market share. Because the
The rate of renewal of the Swiss wagon fleet is - from the economic crisis
and the uncertain job prospects - the savings behavior
the opposite direction. It can therefore be assumed that
importers to new tools that offer a different approach to the
Target group definition as the classic socio-demographic positive
would react. The industry media key does not yet
conclusions about a paradigm shift, even if car commercials are slightly
have increased.
 
There is great interest in consumer typology, explains Markus
Hollenstein, Head of Marketing at Publisuisse. Among other things, because they
is already well established abroad. "Over ten individual
Presentations were made to car companies, and regular meetings were organized.
 Queries from agencies that look after car customers,
are proof of the interest," says Hollenstein.
 
Several car companies would plan and book based on the Sinus-Milieus
leave. Even if no surveys are currently available, he assumes that the
that car advertisements will now be placed more precisely, even in
previously less considered, but very affine program environments.
Gregor Doser from Mediaedge CIA sees the first signs of this among customers
to a rethink, but also notes that there is still much
persuasion is necessary.

That the skepticism stems from the fact that the Sinus-Milieu data, which are now
three years old may no longer be up to date, he does not believe.
The values surveyed, such as brand image, ownership and preference of
Car types, brands or the financing of a new car would not change.
fundamentally change so quickly. To dispel this suspicion
The study should be repeated, says Hollenstein from Publisuisse.
But that is not planned at the moment.

And so we will continue to monitor the acquisition intentions of the various
target groups, which were first presented in 2004.
According to them, the established and status-oriented prefer to buy a
new car than a used one, the interest in vehicles with
diesel drive, especially in modern performers, are large and are
German brands are particularly popular in the leading social milieus.
popular.

Japanese PWs are particularly popular in the middle-class milieu.
question, the Swedish vehicles are particularly popular with the
The established and even the escapists are very popular. According to
customer satisfaction survey conducted by Publisuisse, the Sinus studies
after just a few years, not only in media agencies, but also
such as the Market Radar Tool.    

Luca Aloisi

The fact that corporate publishing is highly topical
can be, as the communications agency Infel proves. Once again
For the first time, it organized the "Energy and Environment Discussion Group", which
the Northwestern Swiss energy service providers Atel, IWB, EBM and EBL
produced an event newspaper for the 15th time this year.
The newspaper was printed the night after the event and published on
the following day to the visitors of the discussion group and the employees
and customers of the organizing companies.

Eric Lindblom, Research Director of the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, on the tobacco industry's new marketing tools. WW: How have the advertising practices of tobacco companies in the USA changed in recent years?
Eric Lindblom: You set
significantly more direct mail, which is sent to the massively increased
database of smokers. The Internet is also being increasingly
used for this purpose. RJ Reynolds, for example, recently had an internet promotion,
a large flat screen TV was awarded. A lot
Marketing is carried out with the help of price offers, according to the pattern,
buy two packs of cigarettes and get one free.
Or you get a radio or a sweater as a gift. As long as
there is no cigarette logo on it, it is not prohibited.

WW: Is magazine advertising still used?
Lindblom: Yes,
There are no specific bans on magazine advertising, except
that no young people may be addressed. A court
ruled that magazines that attract a large number of young readers are
are not allowed to place tobacco advertisements, but there are always
again. I have only recently seen ads in People Magazine or
Rolling Stone seen.

WW: Do companies adhere to the general ban on marketing for
Teenagers?
Lindblom: Not
necessarily, because the tobacco promotions in the stores themselves are also
be seen by children. For a while, it was forbidden to show advertising in
within a radius of 1000 meters of a school, but these
regional rules are often reversed by national laws
done.

Interview: Gerti Schön